FIVE- Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, April 30, 2025
Candidates forum Morrow County Health District
-Continued from PAGE ONE
His critiques were inci-
sive, blaming a poorly cho-
sen CEO for losing “30 plus
local employees and 500
plus clientele” and slam-
ming the board’s “business
model” as one that discards
talent and evades account-
ability, perpetuating a fail-
ing status quo.
“Observe the current
interim CEO, Mr. Burke…
Leave him in that place for
90 days, 180 days. Get the
right person,” he stated.
“The failure to place a CEO
with qualifications has…
led us to losing 30 plus local
employees and 500 plus
clientele.”
He added, “The dis-
connect is when questions
aren’t answered by the
board.” Hanna also noted,
“The North End… they
want to see something for
their tax dollar.” In his
closing, he declared, “Two
options: keep it the same…
or change? I’m change.”
He further said, “You have
board members that are
distancing themselves from
failures.”
Laura Torres, who re-
turned in 2024 and joined
the MCHD board in Janu-
ary 2025, brings workforce
development expertise. To
fix the district, she proposes
hiring an energetic CEO to
foster positivity, creating
internship programs to re-
tain young talent, securing
national grants to fund in-
frastructure and staffing,
improving staff morale
through better workplace
policies, promoting North-
South unity through youth
engagement and commu-
nity networking, and advo-
cating for federal support
to enhance rural healthcare.
She criticizes the “dis-
connect” in services and the
board’s failure to support
employee morale, which
drives turnover.
“Identifying the right
person, co-leader that
will… infuse that positive,
energetic, vibe… advo-
cate nationally… funding
grants,” she said. “The
troublesome, the services,
the disconnect that there
is out there in our health
care… infuriates me.” She
asked, “Why are they not
feeling they have a sense
of belonging? Let’s look
into that.”
Torres also proposed,
“Activating our youth to
kind of bridge that gap.”
She added, “I want to be the
eyes, the ears and the voice
of South over in the North.”
Donna Rietmann, a
45-year farmer appointed
in 2024, sees potential in
the district’s clinics. To fix
the district, she proposes
hiring a permanent CEO to
stabilize leadership, recruit-
ing doctors for Heppner and
Irrigon to expand services,
holding inclusive meetings
in northern communities
to ensure representation,
improving engagement
through outreach to Board-
man residents, leveraging
existing facilities to attract
patients, and fostering col-
laboration to move past
election disputes.
She points to low north-
ern attendance at meetings
as disengagement and notes
the board’s needs reach out
to the north end.
“So many times I’ve
seen… they don’t engage or
they don’t even come to the
meetings and we need to see
them.” She added, “We’re
really fortunate. We have a
hospital… build upon that.”
Rietman also said, “We
need to reach out to them
wherever we can find a way
to integrate with them.” She
noted, “We cannot provide
excellence without listening
to people.” In her closing,
she emphasized, “I do not
consider myself part of the
status quo… health care is
the backbone of our com-
munity... we need strong
leadership and a shared
vision.”
Janet Greenup, born at
Pioneer Memorial and run-
ning for position 3, holds
deep ties to the hospital. To
fix the district, she proposes
securing a permanent CEO,
implementing quarterly
financial reports for trans-
parency, fostering board
collaboration to streamline
decisions, conducting exit
interviews to understand
staff losses, building trust
through school outreach
and community forums,
and reviewing budget allo-
cations to ensure equitable
resource distribution.
She sees a “common
denominator” in leadership
failures, criticizing a toxic
workplace with no exit
interviews.
“Find a permanent
CEO… finances… I want
a quarterly report… work
with the rest of the board,”
she said. “There’s a com-
mon denominator here…
what’s going on? Why is
this happening?” She em-
phasized, “There’s no exit
interviews… a hostile, toxic
work environment.”
Greenup also noted, “A
lot of people left because
it was not a good environ-
ment.” She added, “Get to
know them… build some
trust.” In her closing, she
said, “We’re on our way to
a better health district.”
Molly Rhea, a nurse
with 40 years’ experience
running for position 2,
seeks to calm community
tensions. To fix the district,
she proposes collaborating
with the CEO to stabi-
lize leadership, conducting
anonymous employee sur-
veys to address workplace
issues, answering com-
munity questions openly,
engaging face-to-face to
resolve North-South di-
vides, monitoring funding
risks to protect services,
and promoting a culture
of transparency to rebuild
trust.
She calls the district
“shaky” due to the CEO’s
resignation amid board con-
flicts, criticizing disruptive
behaviors.
“Talk to the CEO…
look at the employee sur-
veys… answer questions,”
she said. “It’s also shaky
that our CEO felt she was
forced to resign due to
behaviors that were untow-
ard.” She observed, “I’ve
never seen a health district
board with so many contes-
tants.” Rhea also said, “It’s
going to take legwork…
to hear the people.” She
added, “Increasing trans-
parency… can build trust.”
Russ Nichols, a health-
care veteran also running for
position 2, aims to strength-
en programs like home
health, fix weaknesses, and
ensure fiscal responsibility.
To fix the district, he pro-
poses supporting successful
services like home health
and hospice, addressing
operational flaws through
detailed reviews, improving
financial oversight to allo-
cate resources efficiently,
creating a welcoming work-
place to attract providers,
engaging the community
to understand needs, and
leveraging his healthcare
expertise to guide deci-
sions. He criticizes a “not
friendly” workplace where
“people are scared,” blam-
ing an oversized adminis-
tration.
“Find the things that are
currently… working well…
home health and hospice…
find the things… not doing
well… financial responsi-
bility,” he said. “Currently,
this is not a friendly place
to work. People are actually
scared to work here.” He
noted, “There’s just a pile
of them and we have four
providers.”
Nichols also said, “I’ve
been lucky enough… to be
approached by hundreds
of community members…
who are concerned.” He
added, “I know a lot about
all the aspects of clinics,
hospitals.” In his closing,
he emphasized, “I actually
became a doctor… to go
work in Heppner.”
Annetta Spicer, an at-
torney in the county for
48 years, left the district
due to access issues. To fix
the district, she proposes
fully staffing clinics with
permanent doctors, defin-
ing administrative roles to
reduce bloat, creating ac-
cessible and readable bud-
gets, prioritizing local hires
to strengthen community
ties, fostering county unity
through cooperative models
like the library district, and
improving service access
to prevent residents from
seeking care elsewhere.
She laments the ab-
sence of full-time doctors
and local ER staff, faulting
the board for unclear bud-
gets and excess adminis-
tration.
“Get a complete staff
in the county… write the
job descriptions for the ad-
ministrative employees…
budget both accessible and
readable,” she said. “We
don’t have any doctors in
the district right now that
are… manning the clinic
on a full-time basis.” She
added, “Not a single per-
son up there was… from
Morrow County.” Spicer
also stressed, “We’re here
to provide as good of care
as we can.” She noted,
“Everybody worked for
the benefit of the entire
district.”
In her closing, she said,
“Who on the board is going
to be able to work together
to accomplish the goals?”
Scott Ezell, a firefight-
er and EMT, is driven by
commitment to Morrow
County. To fix the district,
he proposes hiring a highly
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qualified CEO, forming
partnerships with other
hospitals to share resources,
tightening financial controls
to ensure sustainability,
ensuring merit-based rehir-
ing to maintain standards,
enhancing community trust
through strong leadership,
and setting high operational
goals to elevate services.
He disputes unfair
firing claims, suggesting
some staff left for reasons
“not something they were
proud of,” and critiques the
board’s financial oversight.
“Top three stability, re-
sources and finances… find
somebody that has the most
qualifications… look at our
existing resources… tighten
our belt,” he said. “Some
of those reasons were not
something they were proud
of and maybe didn’t share
with you.” He stressed,
“Just because you live here
doesn’t entitle you to any-
thing… earn that job.”
Ezell also noted, “We
have to find somebody
that you guys are going to
like.” He added, “I want our
health district to be world
class.” In his closing, he
said, “There’s people that
are riding anger.”
The forum concluded
with a shared resolve to
renew the district, each
candidate’s voice adding
depth to a collective vision
for change.
Seastone’s financial
clarity, Hanna’s sharp ac-
countability, Torres’s in-
novative outreach, Riet-
man’s practical optimism,
Greenup’s truth-seeking,
Rhea’s steady wisdom,
Nichols’s healthcare exper-
tise, Spicer’s transparency,
and Ezell’s community
focus offered diverse, ac-
tionable solutions.
Their critiques—of
leadership missteps, work-
place challenges, and frac-
tured trust—were out in
front.
As the election nears,
Morrow County faces a
pivotal choice for a path
toward a stronger health-
care future.
-Continued from page 4
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The Town of Lexington
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February 5, 2025 utf
IN
THE
CIRCUIT
COURT
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STATE OF
ORE-
GON FOR THE COUN-
TY
OF
MORROW
Probate Department In
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PATRICIA F. WALK-
ER, NOTICE Deceased.
Date of Death: February
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NOTICE OF BUDGET HEARING
A public meeting of the Ione Lexington Cemetery Maintenance District will be held on May 12, 2025 at 11:00 am at Ione Rural Fire District Hall, 150 W Main, Ione, OR. The
purpose of this meeting is to discuss the budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025 as approved by the Ione Lexington Cemetery Maintenance Distric Budget Committee.
A summary of the budget is presented below. A copy of the budget may be inspected or obtained at Bank of Eastern Oregon 280 Main St, Ione OR, between the hours of 9:00
am and 4:00 pm or email for a copy at ionelexcemdist@gmail.com. This budget is for an annual budget period. This budget was prepared on a basis of accounting that is the
same as the preceding year.
Contact: Laurie Barrow Secretary-Treasurer
Telephone: (541)379-0608
Email: IONELEXCEMDIST@GMAIL.COM
FINANCIAL SUMMARY - RESOURCES
TOTAL OF ALL FUNDS
Actual Amount
Adopted Budget
Approved Budget
2023-2024
This Year 2024-2025
Next Year 2025-2026
$254,780.15
$200,000.00
$164,000.00
Beginning Fund Balance/Net Working Capital
$7,507.73
$6,500.00
$7,500.00
Fees, Licenses, Permits, Fines, Assessments & Other Service Charges
Interfund Transfers
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
All Other Resources Except Current Year Property Taxes
$17,613.07
$12,400.00
$20,500.00
Current Year Property Taxes Estimated to be Received
$105,694.75
$109,000.00
$108,000.00
Total Resources
$385,595.70
$327,900.00
$300,000.00
FINANCIAL SUMMARY - REQUIREMENTS BY OBJECT CLASSIFICATION
Personnel Services
$41,703.73
$61,000.00
$59,000.00
Materials and Services
$13,527.10
$53,900.00
$59,500.00
Capital Outlay
$0.00
$70,000.00
$9,500.00
Interfund Transfers
$42,000.00
$60,000.00
$150,000.00
Contingencies
$0.00
$50,000.00
$12,000.00
Unappropriated Ending Balance and Reserved for Future Expenditure
$0.00
$33,000.00
$10,000.00
Total Requirements
$97,230.83
$327,900.00
$300,000.00
FINANCIAL SUMMARY - REQUIREMENTS AND FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT EMPLOYEES (FTE) BY ORGANIZATIONAL UNIT OR PROGRAM *
Name of Organizational Unit or Program
Ione Lexington Cemetery Maintenance District
FTE for that unit or program
1
1
1
Not Allocated to Organizational Unit or Program
N/A
N/A
N/A
FTE
1
1
1
Total Requirements
1
1
1
Total FTE
1
1
1
PROPERTY TAX LEVIES
Rate or Amount Imposed
Rate or Amount Imposed
Rate or Amount Approved
2023-2024
This Year 2024-2025
Next Year 2025-2026
Permanent Rate Levy (rate limit .2401 per $1,000)
.2401
.2401
.2401
Local Option Levy
0
0
0
Levy For General Obligation Bonds
0
0
0
STATEMENT OF INDEBTEDNESS
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